Magnetic steel dust collector



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F. HEDLEY ET AL MAGNETIC STEEL DUST COLLECTOR Filed June l5 1932 May 1,1934.

anni May 1, 1934. F, HEDLEY ET AL MAGNETIC STEEL DUST COLLECTOR FiledJune l5, 1952,

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May l, 1934.

F. HEDLEY ET AL MAGNETIC STEEL DUST COLLECTOR Filed June l5, 1932 3Sheets-Sheet 6 r3 R f www@ D R m @n h. rm Nk 1 B m. lr 0 NH .2* S. Nh#h1 uw IL mlb Y E w@ Patented May l, i934 ATENT OFFICE MAGNETEC STEELDUST COLLECTOR Frank Hedley, Yonkers, and James S. Doyle, Mount Vernon,N. Y.

application .lune 15, 1932, Serial No. 617,355

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in a magnetic steel conectorfor removing magnetic materials in the form of dust, small particles,and small pieces from an air stream.

The general object of this invention is to pro- -Vide an exceedinglysimple magnetic device to oe interposed in an air line for the purposeof removing from the air iowing through the line any particles ofmagnetic material.

l A still further object of this invention is to 'provide a structurewhich catches the particles of magnetic material and holds them in aposition so that the air as it passes therethrough is subjected to astraining action to remove particles l of non-magnetic material whichare caught in 4the maze of magnetic particles held in the magneticiield.

A still iu er object of the invention involves the combination oi such adevice with the intake line of a pump or at any other point in the brakesystem and having its magnetizing winding in circuit with the pump motorso that the winding is only energized when the motor is operating thepump or energized continuously with a circuit independent of the pumpcircuit.

A still further object of the invention is to provide with such acombination a chamber arranged with respect to the collector so thatwhen it is demagnetized the magnetic particles are permitted to fallfreely therein and to be removed from the path of the air now.

These and many other objects, as will appear from the followingdisclosure, are successfully secured by means of this invention.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction,arrangement, and relative location of parts, all as will be described indetail below.

Referring to the drawings- Figure l is a top plan view of a motor drivenpump and air reservoir in combination with the magnetic dust collectorof this invention which is shown in cross-section;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the dust collector;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the collector on theline 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. e is a circuit diagram of the connections for the coil of thecollector and the motor;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 6 of a modifiedform oi device employing permanent magnets;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the 35 line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

(Cl. 18S-7) Fig. '7 is a side elevational view of this form of device;and

Fig. 8 is a diagranunatic illustration of an air piping system includinga plurality of air devices, reservoirs, and pumps protected by means ofthe 00 magnetic dust collector of this invention.

In the operation of transportation vehicles, and particularly in theoperation of subway trains through substantially closed tunnels,considerable difficulty is encountered in the air system of suchvehicles by reason of the collection of steel dust in the air lines,valves, and other parts of the air system. Large quantities of steeldust and particles are normally produced by the operation of trains, aswill be apparent when it is considered that on each train are a numberof brake shoes which are continually being ground away to form steeldust and steel particles. Likewise, the frictional contact between therails and wheels of the trains results in the production of steel dustand particles as the wheels and rails gradually wear away. Thus it willbe seen that large quantities of steel dust are produced in the normaloperation of trains.

When these trains operate through underground passages, as in the caseof subway trains, this steel dust is present in considerable quantitieswith respect to the volume of air present and is in continual motion andin suspension in the air because of the violent disturbance of g5 theair caused by the passage of trains through the underground passageways.

As is of course well known, considerable pneumatie equipment is employedon modern trains which is operated by means of compressed air which ispumped into reservoirs carried on each car of the train. The requiredpressure is maintained in these reservoirs by means of control deviceswhich automatically set the motor driven pumps in operation when thepressure in the reservoirs falls below a predetermined value. The pumps,of course, take in air from the surrounding atmosphere and deliver it tothe reservoirs under the proper pressure. It is at once apparent,therefore, that all the dust and dirt, including the steel dust andparticles present, are likewise carried through the pump into thereservoir and then carried from the reservoir, as air is withdrawn, tothe air lines, valves, and other equipment connected thereto.

Experience with the operation of subway trains has demonstrated that thepipe lines, valves, and other pneumatic equipment, including the valvesof the pumps, are quickly coated with a layer of steel dust, whichcoating is strongly adherent "plates 9 and 10 and pipe 5 into the intake-thread its way through the maze Vport collector.

because of the presence of moisture in the atmosphere, as well asatomized oil which is likewise produced by the operation of the train.Quite obviously this hardened layer interferes with the correctoperation of the pneumatic apparatus, and particularly interferes withthe proper operation of the various valves connected to the air system.It becomes necessary, therefore, to periodicaily tear down the airequipment and clean out this accumulated layer, which is quite obviouslyan expensive procedure.

The general object of this invention is to remove all of the steel dustand particles from the air before it enters the intake ports of thepumps and to remove as much as possible other foreign particles ofnon-magnetic character.

Referring to the drawings, the air pump is shown diagrammatically at 1driven by means of an electric motor 2. The discharge port of the pumpis connected by pipe 3 to the air reservoir 4. To the intake port of thepump is connected a pipe 5 which in turn is attached by means of aiiange to a plate '7, which is preferably of an insulating ornon-magnetic material. At 12 is an extension of the air intake linewhich likewise is attached by means of a iiange coupling 1l to a similarplate of insulating or non-magnetic material 10. Secured between theseplates Vto form therewith a closed chamber are the plates 8 and 9 ofmagnetic material which are secured together and to the plates 7 and l0in any suitable manner. Mounted centrally of the chamber formed by theplates 9 and 10 is an iron core 13 which is surrounded by a solenoidwinding 14.

fWhen the winding 14 is energized the core 13 of the magnetic plates 9and 8 are likewise energized, creating a powerful electromagnetic eld.When the'pump is in operation air is drawn through pipe 12 to thechamber formed by the port of the pump. The powerful magnetic fieldcreated between the plates 8 and 9, through which the air must pass,acts to collect all particles of magnetic material in the air. The endplates '7 and v51() are preferably of non-magnetic material in order notto provide a short-circuit for the magnetic eld between the plates 8 and9.

Another advantage of the arrangement of this apparatus is that as theiron particles col- 5 lect on the plates 8 and 9 the slivers of steeland small pieces of steel align themselves with the magnetic fieldbetween the plates and hence stand out at right angles to them. The airin passing through the chamber must, therefore, of iron and steelparticles standing at right angles to the plates. This effectively actsto collect at least the larger particles of non-magnetic materialsuspended in the air and hence the collected vsteel particles provide asort of screening action on the air to retain the non-magneticparticles. It is likewise apparent that it would be desirable to employsome form of well known air strainer between the magnetic collector andthe intake of the pump in order to collect therein any non-magneticparticles which are not retained in the magnetic collector.

In Figs. 2 and 3 there is shown in enlarged form a suitable constructionfor the magnetic It is substantially like that shown in Fig. 1 but inthis case plate 9 is made relatively thick to provide substantially theentire chamber and the plate 8 is provided in the form of a cover toclose the circular chamber. While not absolutely necessary, the eiciencyof the device is somewhat increased by interposing between the plate 9and the plate cover 8 a nonmagnetic gasket in order that an air gap beformed in the magnetic circuit.

The plate 9 is shown provided with a depending hollow extension 13forming with the hinged cover 14 a chamber which is in communicationwith the circular chamber through which the air passes. With thisarrangement when the winding 14 is deenergized the steel dust andparticles and any other foreign material, which are collected in thecircular chamber, is free to fall under the action of gravity into thechamber 13 where it is collected and from which it may be removed.

A suitable circuit arrangement is shown in Fig. 4 in which the wire 20is connected to the positive side of the current source from the trolleywire or third rail. At 21 is a switch in this circuit, which inaccordance with standard practice, would be pressure operated under thecontrol of the pressure in the reservoir so as to close the circuit whenthe pressure in the reservoir falls below a predetermined value. Thisswitch connects wire 20 with wire 22, which in turn is connected toground through wire 23, the motor 2, wire 24, and wire 25. Shuntedacross the motor is the winding 14 for the electromagnet of the dustcollector, which of course is in series with a suitable resistance 26 inorder that the voltage impressed thereupon will be of the proper value.Thus, whenever the pump motor is in operation, the winding 14 isenergized.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 there is shown another form of magnetic dustcollector which differs from the form of the other figures in thatpermarient magnets are employed in the air stream in place ofelectromagnets. As shown, this form of device comprises a casing 30provided with a bottom cover 31, which parts are hingedly united bymeans of the hinges 32. The casing is provided with a lug 33 injuxtaposition to a lug 34 mounted on the bottom cover. Pivotally mountedat 36 on the lug 34 is a threaded bolt 35 which, in the position shownin Fig. 6, lies within the slotted end of the lug 37. A wing nut 37serves to hold the bottom cover in place. If desired some form of beador iiange, as shown in Fig. 7, may be provided on the casing tocooperate with the bottom cover to provide an airtight seal when thecover is closed. Secured to each side of the casing are the pipecoupling anges 39 and 40 which receive the air inlet and air outletpipes 38 and 41, respectively. Mounted within the casing are a pluralityof permanent horseshoe magnets 42 which are supported at their upper endby means of the transverse bolt 43 and are supported at their lower endin spaced relation by means of a plate of non-magnetic material,preferably of insulating material, as shown at 45, which is held inplace by means of the bolt 44. As will be apparent, the air enters thecasing through pipe 38 and leaves it by pipe 41. In passing through thecasing it distributes and flows around the permanent magnets 42 and as aresult any magnetic particles in the air are abstracted therefrom andheld by the magnets. When it becomes necessary to clean out the devicethe bottom cover is opened and the lower ends of the, magnets, as willbe apparent from Figs. 6 and '7, are exposed for cleaning.

The purpose of the diagrammatic illustration in Fig, 8 is to show moreclearly the use of the device of this invention in any air piping systemfor the purpose of protecting the various devices connected into thesystem from clogging and jamming with dust and dirt, and particularlywith magnetic particles. The circuit is a portion of the air circuit ofa transportation vehicle, such as a subway car, showing the variouscontrol devices, pumps, and the like preceded with respect to the pathof air iiow with the device of this invention in order to protect them.As shown in the drawings, the air intake pipe 12 is connected to theinlet of the magnetic dust separator 9 of this invention, the outlet ofwhich is connected by pipe 5 to the intake port of the compressor 1. Thedischarge port of this compressor is connected by pipe 3 to the airstorage reservoir 4. rIhis reservoir in turn is connected in series witha second reservoir 51 having a discharge pipe 52. This discharge pipe isprovided with the branch connections 53 and 54. In the branch connection54 is a double cut-out cock 55 which in turn is connected by pipe 56 toa second magnetic dust collector 9. The discharge port of this collectoris connected by pipe 57 to the valve 58. Branch 53 is connected to whatis known as a reservoir pipe 59 which in turn is provided with two dustcollectors 9. The discharge of the right hand collector is connected bypipe 60 to the brake valve 61, and the left hand dust collector isconnected at the discharge port of a pipe 62, which in turn is connectedto the brake valve 63. Insofar as the object of this figure isconcerned, it is immaterial what the detail constructions of the deviceare since the purpose of the figure is to illustrate the principle ofthe insertion of the device of this invention at different points in anair circuit to protect the various devices thereof from jamming andclogging by removing the magnetic particles and such nonmagneticparticles as are trapped in the collectors from the air stream.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the device of thisinvention will have considerable utility if instead of using anelectromagnet a permanent magnet is employed in the dust collector. Wedo not, therefore, desire to be strictly limited to the form of theinvention disclosed in the drawings for purposes of illustration, butrather to the scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

What we seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. In an apparatus as described, the combination with an air pump, anelectric motor for operating the pump, an air reservoir connected to thepump, an air inlet line connected to the intake port of the pump, amagnetizable casing connected to the air inlet line, an electromagnetwinding for magnetizing the casing, a circuit for the pump motor, andconnections from the circuit to the electromagnet winding whereby whenthe pump motor is energized the electromagnet winding is energized.

2. A magnetic separator as described comprising a magnetizable casingprovided with a chamber therein, a magnet mounted in said chamber formagnetizing the casing, and pipes connected to the casing at oppositesides to provide a continuous air passage in conjunction with thechamber in the casing.

3. A magnetic separator as described comprising a inagnetizable casingprovided with a chamber therein, an electromagnet mounted in saidchamber for magnetizing the casing, and pipes connected to the casing atopposite sides to provide a continuous air passage in conjunction withthe chamber in the casing.

4. In a brake piping system for subway cars the combination including anair pump having an intake connection and a discharge connection, areservoir connected to the discharge connection, a reservoir line, abrake valve in the reservoir line, and a magnetic dust collector in thereservoir line between the reservoir and the brake valve.

5. In a brake piping system for subway cars the combination including anair pump having intake and discharge ports, a reservoir, a connectionbetween the discharge port of the pump and the reservoir, an air supplyline connected to the reservoir, a control valve in said line, and amagnetic dust collector in said line between said valve and saidreservoir.

JAMES S. DOYLE. FRANK HEDLEY.

